Friday, March 13, 2009

Love Your Independent Bookstore (month)

WOW! It's not enough that author Joe Hill delivered one of my favorite horror novels in recent memory with his unique ghost story Heart-Shaped Box, but that his heart has stayed in the right place makes him one of my favorite authors ever. Now dig this:

Even though Heart-Shaped Box was a massive, national bestseller, and probably sold more copies through just a handful of the chains or big box stores than all the independent bookstores sold combined, Joe realizes that it's the smaller, independent bookstores that have the kind of attentive staff that reads the advance galleys, and hand-sells books that they are passionate about, that create the buzz that builds to bestsellerdom. So Joe is giving back by declaring March, "Love Your Indie Bookstore Month." But that's not all - there's even a contest.

Send (or fax or email) Joe a copy of your receipt from any independent bookstore and you will be enetered in a contest to win a signed, limited edition of his forthcoming title, Gunpowder. Which, by the way, is already sold-out. But there are also other gems being awarded, like limited editions of Neil Gaiman or Dan Simmons titles, and more will be added during the month. Full details and contest rules are available HERE. (I especially enjoy the 'what happens if you cheat' area). Thanks Joe - You Da Man!